GPS May Not be the Answer

July 25, 2014

GPS May Not be the Answer

If you have ever been led down the wrong path by your GPS, or if it suddenly seemed out of touch with reality, then you’re not alone. What will help is planning ahead which could save time, gas and stress.

While a GPS does help direct you in unfamiliar territory, there are times when you can be misled. The question is, why?

Sometimes, your GPS does not receive a clear, strong signal and cannot communicate with satellites that accurately establish your location. Thick cloud cover, mountains, dense foliage, tall buildings or electromagnetic interference could be the culprits and you lose your GPS capabilities.

It might be a good idea to have a back up resource, a print out from an Internet based mapping service … or, have one a good old road map of where you are travelling.

When inputting data in your GPS, be certain to start with the correct address. Just remember; garbage in…garbage out…or worse than that – if you’re not careful, you might end up at Main Street, Newington, Connecticut, when you wanted to arrive at Main Street, Chatham, Massachusetts.

In addition, keep your GPS software updated otherwise new roads may not show up while you’re traveling. Expect as much as 40 percent changes in roads [source: TeleAtlas.com]. If you don’t update your GPS maps, you might find yourself in a stressful situation. With a little bit of pre-planning, commonsense driving and a tank full of gas, your GPS should get you to your destination. Bon voyage!

 

View All Entries